Aplix

What Aplix does

Aplix (legal entity APLIX S.A.) is a French family-owned industrial manufacturer of hook-and-loop fastening and closure systems, founded in 1958 as Velcro France and rebranded APLIX in 1976 after the original Velcro patents expired. The company ranks N°2 worldwide in hook-and-loop fasteners, employs approximately 957 associates, and reports annual turnover of €193M. It operates five production plants in France, the United States, Brazil, and China, supported by wholly-owned sales subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, and Canada plus an India marketing partner.

The product portfolio spans textile hook-and-loop tapes (aplix 800, 810, 840, 821/820, 803/800 series for industrial and military use), plastic hook tapes (aplix 963, 740/745, 966), light-weight knit and nonwoven loops, hook-to-hook closures (Easylock for packaging), elastic stretch laminates (SoftFit), and the patented Intermold injection-molded hook technology. Manufacturing capabilities are vertically integrated across weaving, knitting, yarn texturing, dyeing, extrusion, injection molding, coating, laminating, and converting. The company holds certifications including OEKO-TEX, DERMATEST, BRCGS, FAR25.856(a), IATF 16949 (PARAFIX Brazil, 2024), ISO 14001 (French facilities), and US/French military specifications including Berry Amendment compliance.

Aplix sells direct to OEM customers across eight verticals — personal care (its primary segment, serving diaper and incontinence manufacturers), automotive, aerospace, packaging, cleaning, healthcare, construction, and military/security. Pricing is quote-based and project-driven, with products specified into customer bills of materials under technical certifications that create requalification costs for switchers. The Billarant family has controlled the company through three generations; no external private equity investment has been disclosed, and the company has remained privately held since founding.

Name

Aplix

Legal name

APLIX S.A

Website

https://aplix.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Aplix is a French family-owned manufacturer of hook-and-loop fastening and closure systems, ranking N°2 worldwide with €193M revenue and 957 employees. It sells directly to OEMs across personal care, automotive, aerospace, packaging, and military markets via five production plants on four continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Hook and Loop Fasteners

NAICS

Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)

SIC

Bolts, Nuts, Screws, Rivets & Washers (3452), Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Lidding, Sealant & Packaging Webs (Heat-Seal, Peelable, Retort Lids) (IMALABAG)

Keywords

• Hook and loop fasteners
• Industrial fastening solutions
• Plastic hook tapes
• Stretch laminates
• Reclosable packaging closures

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Cellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hook and Loop Fastener Sales: APLIX manufactures and commercializes hook and loop tapes and fastening solutions for professional technical markets. Products include textile hook and loop, plastic hooks, light weight loops, stretch laminates, and converted/fabricated products. Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales to manufacturers in personal care, automotive, aerospace, packaging, healthcare, construction, and military/security industries.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aplix designs, manufactures, and commercializes value-added hook and loop fastening solutions for professional and technical markets. Its portfolio spans textile hook and loop tapes, plastic extruded hooks, light-weight loops, hook-to-hook closures for flexible packaging, elastic stretch laminates, injection-molded hooks, and converted/fabricated products. Products serve OEMs in personal care (diapers, incontinence), automotive, aerospace, packaging, healthcare, construction, cleaning, and military/security industries.

Product overview

Aplix is a hook and loop fastener manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of fastening and closure solutions for professional and technical markets. The product portfolio includes: textile hook and loop tapes (aplix 800, 810, 840, 821/820, 803/800 series) for industrial applications; plastic hook products (aplix 963, 740/745, 966); light weight loops (knitted and nonwoven); hook-to-hook closures (Easylock by Aplix); elastic stretch laminates (SoftFit by Aplix); and injection-molded hooks (Intermold). Brand products include SoftGrip by Aplix (hooks and hook tapes for personal care/diapers), SoftLoop by Aplix (nonwoven loop), TexLoop by Aplix (knit loop), DecoGrip by Aplix (construction solutions), and Onefix by Parafix (linerless adhesive labels). Aplix operates 5 production plants in the US, France, Brazil, and China, serving markets including personal care, automotive, aircraft, packaging, cleaning, healthcare, construction, and military/security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DecoGrip by Aplix: Ultra-thin hook and loop closure solution for flooring installation and wall covering applications.
• Easylock by Aplix
• Intermold
• SoftFit by Aplix
• SoftGrip by Aplix
• SoftLoop by Aplix
• TexLoop by Aplix
• ONEFIX by Parafix

Products and services

• Textile hook and loop tapes

Quantifiable outcome

• Cycle life up to 10,000 cycles for textile hook and loop products
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Velcro S.A.historicalOthers · 1 January 1976Historical licensing relationship ended in 1976 after patent expiration. APLIX (originally Velcro France) was one of the first companies to produce and market hook and loop fasteners under license from Velcro S.A. founded by Georges de Mestral. After patent expiration in 1976, the company changed its name to APLIX and adopted the aplix trademark.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Velcro S.A. Original inventor and world's #1 producer of hook and loop fasteners, with the eponymous brand that became a generic category name. Directly competes with Aplix across personal care, automotive, packaging, and industrial fastening applications using the same underlying hook-and-loop technology.
• YKK Group: Global leader in fastening solutions, best known for zippers but also producing hook-and-loop fasteners and plastic hook products for apparel, automotive, and industrial customers. Comparable to Aplix as a multi-technology fastening specialist serving technical B2B markets worldwide.
• Paiho: Taiwanese hook and loop fastener manufacturer with strong presence in personal care/diaper closures and industrial markets. Direct competitor to Aplix in diaper fastening systems and a key Asian volume producer in the same product category.
• Scapa Group: UK-based manufacturer of industrial hook-and-loop fasteners, technical tapes, and bonding solutions serving healthcare, industrial, and consumer markets. Closely comparable to Aplix's industrial fastener business with similar product formats and customer profiles.
• Zip-Pak: Specialist in reclosable zipper and hook-to-hook closures for flexible packaging, directly competing with Aplix's Easylock product line in pet food, confectionery, and dry goods packaging. Highly comparable on technology, customer base, and the sustainability-driven reclosability trend.

Broad incumbents

• 3M: Diversified global manufacturer whose Industrial Adhesives & Tapes division includes hook-and-loop fasteners (Dual Lock, Scotchmate) alongside a much broader portfolio. Comparable to Aplix in fastener technology and end markets but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a fastening specialist.
• Tesa SE: Beiersdorf-owned manufacturer of adhesive tapes including industrial hook-and-loop products, serving automotive, electronics, and construction markets. Overlaps with Aplix in technical fastening applications but operates as a broad industrial tape incumbent rather than a fastener pure-play.
• Kuraray: Japanese specialty chemicals and materials company with a Magic Tape hook-and-loop fastener business serving apparel, automotive, and industrial customers. Comparable to Aplix in hook-and-loop technology and end markets, but Kuraray operates as a broad materials incumbent.
• H.B. Fuller: Global industrial adhesives and sealants manufacturer serving packaging, hygiene, construction, and automotive markets. Comparable to Aplix as a B2B supplier into hygiene and packaging converters, though H.B. Fuller is bond-focused rather than mechanical-fastener focused.
• Bostik: Arkema-owned global adhesives manufacturer with strong positions in hygiene (diaper construction), packaging, and industrial assembly. Adjacent competitor to Aplix in the diaper value chain, particularly as adhesive-based closures compete with mechanical hook-and-loop systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCSnUqK8M9OEuBc-1BD2cIQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aplix---hook-&-loop-fasteners/?originalSubdomain=fr

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aplix